Global private investment firm Ardian and its portfolio company Verne plan to develop a next-generation digital infrastructure campus in France’s Île-de-France region, aiming to strengthen Europe’s artificial intelligence and high-performance computing capabilities.

The project, announced at the Choose France conference, represents an investment of up to EUR5bn ($5.7bn) and is designed to support Europe’s ambitions for digital and industrial sovereignty through low-carbon computing infrastructure.

The campus will be developed within one of France’s largest industrial hubs and is expected to reach a target capacity of 500 megawatts (MW), including an initial phase of more than 200 MW by 2030.

Ardian and Verne said the facility will house a data centre dedicated to high-performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence model training and advanced industrial applications.

The project will rely on France’s energy infrastructure and low-carbon electricity supply, developed in collaboration with grid operator RTE and EDF Group.

The hub will also form part of the sites supporting the AION consortium’s bid for a French Gigafactory under the European Union’s AI Gigafactories initiative.

The companies said the campus is intended to support the full AI value chain, spanning computing resources and applications across sectors including research, healthcare, finance and energy.

Verne, which operates low-carbon data centres in Northern Europe, will design and operate the facility, drawing on its expertise in high-performance computing infrastructure.

The development will be undertaken in collaboration with government agencies, regional authorities, local public entities and major French industrial and financial groups, including Bouygues Group and Crédit Agricole.

Ardian and Verne also plan to engage technology, industrial and academic partners as the project advances.

The companies said the campus is intended to create an ecosystem bringing together infrastructure operators, energy providers, technology firms, research centres and higher education institutions, while generating hundreds of direct and indirect jobs across construction and operations.

Part of broader infrastructure strategy

The announcement forms part of Ardian’s broader infrastructure strategy focused on sectors including digital infrastructure, energy and transport.

Through other French platforms in its portfolio, including Akuo and GreenYellow, Ardian said it is separately investing up to EUR3bn in French energy infrastructure, representing 2.5 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity expected to be connected to the grid by 2030.

“Ardian‘s strategy of investing in both essential digital and energy infrastructure is aligned with the European needs to strengthen its strategic capabilities and accelerate its progress toward digital sovereignty,” said Mathias Burghardt, executive president of Ardian and CEO of Ardian France.

“By bringing together our industrial and financial knowledge with an ecosystem of leading French industrial partners, our ambition is to build a benchmark platform in the Île-de-France region gathering digital, industrial and research serving Europe,” he added.

Dominic Ward, CEO of Verne, and Roland Chedlivili, MD of Verne France, said the project marked “a strategic milestone” in the company’s development as a European digital infrastructure platform focused on artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.

“It illustrates our ambition to establish infrastructure in France capable of meeting the needs of major European industrial and technology players,” they said. “We are building a competitive and sustainable European AI backbone for our economy.”

The project comes as European governments and businesses seek to expand domestic AI infrastructure and reduce dependence on foreign computing resources amid growing global competition in artificial intelligence.

Yango Group has made its first investment in the Middle East and North Africa region through its venture arm Yango Ventures, backing UAE-based fintech Comfi AI in a pre-series A funding round.

The global technology company said the investment marks its continued focus on startups building digital infrastructure across emerging markets, particularly in fintech, logistics and SME services.

Comfi AI, founded in 2023 and headquartered in Dubai, develops embedded finance tools for small and medium-sized enterprises, including buy now, pay later (BNPL), invoice discounting and dealer financing.

The solutions are integrated into supplier workflows such as invoicing systems and partner platforms, enabling businesses to access financing without separate lending processes.

“Our strategy is to build and support infrastructure that enables business growth across markets,” said Daniil Shuleyko, CEO of Yango Group.

Read: Daniil Shuleyko on how Yango Group is building an operating system for the city

“We do this through our own products and by investing in companies that solve fundamental problems. Comfi AI is one of them: it integrates financing into transaction flows and reduces payment cycles from months to a single day, improving access to working capital. We believe such solutions can scale across a wide range of economies,” he added.

Comfi AI said it serves more than 1,000 small and medium-sized enterprises across the MENA region, has processed over 15,000 invoices and is used by more than 4,000 finance professionals.

Yango Ventures, launched in 2025 with a fund of not more than $20m, invests in early-stage companies across MENA, Africa, Latin America and South Asia, focusing on infrastructure that supports business growth in emerging markets.

The investment in Comfi AI marks the fund’s first entry into the MENA region and adds embedded finance to its portfolio.

The US military said it had “successfully defeated” a wave of Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting Gulf states and civilian shipping overnight, while also carrying out what it described as self-defence strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island.

In a statement on Wednesday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Iran launched ballistic missiles toward Bahrain and Kuwait, while also deploying drones targeting US forces and commercial vessels in regional waters.

CENTCOM rejected Iranian claims that the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain had been hit.

“Iran launched several ballistic missiles toward regional neighbours; however, all failed to hit their intended targets,” CENTCOM said.

According to the US military, two missiles fired toward Kuwait either fell short or broke apart during flight, while three missiles aimed at Bahrain were intercepted by US and Bahraini air defence systems.

American forces also shot down three so-called “one-way attack drones” launched toward civilian shipping routes in the Gulf.

Later on Wednesday morning, CENTCOM said an additional wave of Iranian drones targeting US forces in Kuwait had also failed, with multiple drones intercepted before reaching their intended targets.

The US military said it subsequently carried out “self-defence strikes” on an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island, located near the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), meanwhile, claimed it had attacked the US Fifth Fleet headquarters and an airbase in the region using missiles and drones in retaliation for what it described as an earlier US strike on a communications tower south of Qeshm Island.

Iranian state-linked media also reported that the IRGC navy targeted a vessel identified as Panaya with missiles, claiming the move was in response to an alleged US attack on an Iranian tanker near the Strait of Hormuz that reportedly damaged its engine room.

“Disrupting the security of the Strait of Hormuz will carry a heavy price for the US military,” Iranian media quoted the IRGC as saying.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has issued Executive Council Resolution No (13) of 2026 regulating the use of cameras in documenting violations and the execution of judicial judgments, decisions and orders, in accordance with applicable legislation and under the supervision of the competent judge.

The resolution aims to strengthen professional conduct among enforcement officers in Dubai, enhance transparency and integrity, protect individual rights, ensure legal compliance, and support the use of technology to verify procedures.

It establishes rules for the use of cameras to record enforcement officers and to manage violation and execution procedures, including what may be recorded and where recording is permitted.

It requires all recordings to be stored securely using encrypted systems, protected from unauthorised access or tampering, and managed in accordance with Dubai laws and the requirements of the Dubai Electronic Security Center for retention and handling.

The resolution also requires compliance with the Dubai Electronic Security Centre’s information security and business continuity policies, as well as its procedures for handling and transferring recordings.

Government entities must maintain a database of authorised users and access levels, and ensure that all staff and authorised personnel comply with privacy protection standards.

Responsibilities and restrictions

It defines the responsibilities of enforcement officers, stating that cameras must be used only for official purposes and in accordance with instructions from the relevant authority.

It prohibits recording in highly private locations, including homes, places of worship, and changing rooms, and requires individuals to be informed when recording is taking place.

Officers must keep recordings confidential and may only share them with the government entity they represent or authorised persons. They are prohibited from copying, storing, or transferring recordings onto personal devices or unauthorised systems, or using them for personal or unlawful purposes.

The resolution requires government entities to provide training to enforcement officers before granting them judicial enforcement powers.

Training must cover application of the resolution, documentation of violations and enforcement actions, secure handling and transfer of recordings, and the legal and ethical responsibilities related to body camera use, particularly privacy protection requirements.

Resolution outlines obligations for private companies

Executive Council Resolution No (13) of 2026 also outlines obligations for private companies contracted by government entities or assigned statutory functions, requiring compliance with the same standards in handling and protecting recordings.

Recordings must be stored electronically by government entities, kept confidential under Dubai Electronic Security Centre rules, and may only be accessed, used, or shared with written approval and for specified purposes under Dubai laws.

Except for decisions issued by the chairman of the Supreme Committee of Legislation in Dubai, the head of the relevant government entity may issue implementing decisions within their jurisdiction. Any provisions that conflict with other resolutions are repealed.

The resolution is effective from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

Read: Sheikh Mohammed issues new govt services law in Dubai: Details revealed

AD Ports Group has agreed to acquire Brazil’s leading independent agri-bulk port terminal operator Corredor Logística e Infraestrutura (CLI) for an enterprise value of Dhs3.1bn ($835m), marking its entry into the Latin American market and its largest acquisition to date.

The Abu Dhabi-listed ports and logistics group agreed to acquire CLI from joint owners Macquarie Asset Management and IG4 Capital, expanding its presence in the global agricultural commodities supply chain and strengthening its international footprint.

The transaction, which is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to customary regulatory and antitrust approvals, gives AD Ports Group ownership of a platform that handled 17m tonnes of agri-bulk cargo in 2025 and generated revenue of Dhs 654m ($178m) and EBITDA of Dhs360m ($98m).

São Paulo-based CLI operates two major agri-bulk export terminals under long-term concessions. These include CLI Sul at the Port of Santos, Brazil’s leading sugar export terminal and a key export gateway for corn and soybeans, and CLI Norte at the Port of Itaqui, a major grains terminal located in the country’s rapidly growing “Arc of the North” agricultural export corridor.

CLI owns 100 per cent of CLI Norte and 80 per cent of CLI Sul.

The acquisition positions AD Ports Group among South America’s leading independent agri-bulk terminal operators and provides access to opportunities across its maritime, shipping, logistics, economic cities and digital services businesses.

“The purchase of CLI is a game-changer for AD Ports Group. The transaction extends our Group’s international reach for the first time into Latin America, and deepens our growing agrifoods activities, one of our core verticals,” said Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, MD and group CEO of AD Ports Group.

“Under the wise guidance of our leadership in the UAE, AD Ports Group is committed to enabling trade in one of the world’s most important, fastest-growing agricultural commodities markets, which will not only benefit the group’s global clients, including those in Brazil, but also strengthen the AD Ports Group global network,” he added.

Brazil is the world’s largest sugar exporter and one of the world’s largest grain exporters, with the ports of Santos and Itaqui serving as critical gateways linking agricultural production regions to global markets.

East-West trade corridor

AD Ports Group said Brazil would support its plans to develop a major East-West trade corridor linking South America’s largest economy with the Indian subcontinent, East Africa and Southeast Asia.

The acquisition also comes as the United Arab Emirates advances negotiations with Mercosur, the South American trade bloc that includes Brazil, on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

CLI’s existing senior management team will remain in place following completion of the transaction.

Fernando Lohmann, head of Macquarie Asset Management in Brazil, said the country’s agricultural export sector continued to demonstrate resilience and remained a critical component of global commodity markets.

“As a long-term investor in the country, Macquarie remains committed to acting as a responsible custodian of essential infrastructure assets that help drive economic development, improve connectivity and support Brazil’s role in global trade, and we believe AD Ports Group is ideally positioned to support CLI’s next phase of growth,” he said.

Paulo Todescan L Mattos, co-founder, managing partner and CEO of IG4 Capital, said AD Ports Group was well-positioned to build on the platform’s development.

“We believe AD Ports Group is the right strategic owner to build on this foundation, bringing global trade expertise, infrastructure capabilities, and a long-term vision that will support CLI’s continued growth and development,” he said.

A landmark acquisition

The purchase represents AD Ports Group’s largest acquisition, surpassing its Dhs 2.65bn ($720m) acquisition of Spain’s Noatum in 2023 and its Dhs1.9bn ($510m) purchase of a 51 per cent stake in Dubai-based Global Feeder Shipping in 2024.

The deal also advances the group’s strategy of expanding its agrifood logistics portfolio. Recent investments include a long-term agricultural bulk handling project at Karachi Port in Pakistan, a $30m investment in Kazakhstan’s Sarzha Grain Terminal, and a 30-year concession to operate Jordan’s Aqaba multipurpose port.

AD Ports Group was advised by BTG Pactual on the transaction, while Macquarie Asset Management and IG4 Capital were advised by Citi.